I am in early pregnancy but I have no health coverage. Do I have options?

Question

I know I can't be the only one who's had this problem. I changed jobs about a month before I found out I was pregnant. I have 30 days before I can qualify for insurance but the policy says they won't cover "pre-existing" conditions, including pregnancy existing on the date of coverage. Can they deny a pregnant women coverage? Even if I did qualify, the deductible is $5000 which is about the cost of maternity care and delivery anyways. Do I have any options so this pregnancy won't be a huge financial burden?

I forgot to mention that we make too much for qualify for state aid.

Answer 1

Look for a midwife and deliver at home or a birth center. It is usually the most cost effective option and can be a great bonding experience for your family if you are properly prepared. www.mana.org can give you more information.

Answer 2

Did you have coverage through your old job? If you did, how long did you have coverage? Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), pregnancy cannot be considered a pre-existing condition if you move from one group health plan to another (link below). Additionally, you should be able to count the time you were insured under your old plan against the waiting period in your new plan, under HIPAA. I’m not an expert, but if you were covered under a group plan through work less than 63 days ago, you should have some ability to maintain coverage despite your unexpected good news.

Since you make too much for Medicare, you might not be eligible for other state-sponsored financial assistance such as WIC (help with formula and referral to other aid services) and other pregnancy programs. However, you might want to make sure because some states might have pregnancy programs that are more flexible eligibility-wise than Medicaid. To save money, you can visit a free clinic, county health department, or a Planned Parenthood clinic (links below). You might also consider a birthing center. They are much less expensive, but I don’t know much about them. I’ve included links to centers and an article about the pros and cons of using one. The American Pregnancy Association looks like it has some good information (link below).

Congratulations and good luck,
Barnes@MostChoice
http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm

Answer 3

This happened to me...with my first son, I got pregnant about two weeks after starting a new job, and didn't have health coverage until nearly the end of my first trimester.

Honestly, don't worry about it...your ob won't want to see you until you're 10 - 12 weeks anyway. Just take care of yourself in the meantime until you have your first appointment with your ob...drink plenty of water, stop smoking and drinking (if you do), start taking a prenatal vitamin and folic acid supplement every day, etc.

It's a federal law (found somewhere in HIPAA) that pregnancy can NOT be considered a pre-existing condition. If your insurance plan doesn't cover pre-natal care at all, then you're screwed. If they do offer maternity coverage and they're telling you you have a pre-existing condition, this is ILLEGAL BY FEDERAL LAW.

Edit:

I forgot to mention...HIPAA applies only to group health coverage. If your employer offers private insurance for just you, this rule/law doesn't apply.

Answer 4

I know it's not the most proud thing to do but you can go on medicaid atleast until after the baby is born...you have to be under a certain income but there is no harm in calling to find out. Then find out how long you have to wait until after the baby is born to get on your regular insurance. WIC is a program for "women,infants and children" that gives you vouchers for different foods so you eat healthy while your pregnant and then after the baby is born if your bottle feeding then they give you vouchers for formula....wic is not any kind of medical coverage.Look in your local phone book under the government section...sometimes in the front of the book, under your county there should be all sorts of numbers that go to different offices in your courthouse, look for human services, or just dial one and tell them what your looking for and they can probably transfer you. I had to do this when I found out I was pregnant and my works insurance co. wouldnt let me sign up because of a pre-existing condition. I don't know if the program is the same every where, but in WI you don't have to pay any of the doctor/hospital bills...if your unmarried then the father is forced to pay the hospital bill from your delivery, if you are married then chances are you don't pay anything. I say go for it, atleast until after the baby is born, and you don't have to accept food stamps or WIC along with it...it made me feel better turning it down. Look at it this way...where do you think all your tax dollars go????you might as well use them if other people are.... I was totally ashamed when I had to do that, but it's for your baby...and you need to make sure you have a healthy pregnancy for a healthy baby. Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 5

MEDICADE!!! All pregnant women in the United States who cannot afford coverage can get medicade. I don't know how much you make, so I don't know if you will qualify for it or not. But if you do, then you pay nothing for your entire pregnancy.

Also, call the insurance company. I thought the same thing, but they did cover pregnancy. But, between the amout I paid to be insured, the amount of the deductible for myself and my child, I might as well have just not had insurance at all!

Answer 6

First step: take a try. all of your indicators should be concerning some thing else completely. no pick in spending money to ascertain you're not from now on pregnant after all. you're making your appointment with an obstetrician. value relies upon on your insurance. with out insurance, you'll likely be doing away with a private loan, lol. once you've an effective relationship with him, there is no reason he can't come. His medical historic previous may be significant. My husband has been to each and each and every of the appointments, yet in the course of the first one, they requested him some questions too.

Answer 7

Go down to the county welfare office and ask about plans that cover women in your condititon. Indiana has "Health Wise" but yours might be different. I got help in San Diego for my daughters birth from the department of child welfare. At the time, I was living on below poverty level income.

Answer 8

Look into Cobra Insurance. It's well known for continued health insurance when an employee leaves a job.

Answer 9

every state has some kind of healthcare for people with no insurance like in tennessee we have tenncare. Go to you local health department and they can give you more information

Answer 10

Please check with your local women's clinic and the local department of social services. There is no reason for any preganant woman in the United States of America to be denied health care.